Betsy

Diminutive of Elizabeth

"pledged to God"

Betsy Origin and Meaning

The name Betsy is a girl's name of Hebrew origin meaning "pledged to God".

This Elizabeth nickname has a decidedly retro feel--think Betsy Ross and the Betsy Wetsy doll-- once seen as a perkier, younger-sounding alternative to Betty. But with Betty on the brink of a comeback, pigtailed Betsy could return as well.

Betsy's height of popularity was from the forties to the sixties, when she was likely to be the radio, film or TV teenaged daughter.

Betsy, spelled Betsey, was a Dickens favorite, appearing in both David Copperfield (in which Aunt Betsey had wanted David to be named after her had he been a girl) and The Pickwick Papers.

Betsy Rank in US Top 1000

# 745 in the US

Betsy Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 598 on Nameberry

Popularity of the name Betsy

• 598 Nameberry 2025
• 248 England 2023

20 Names Similar to Betsy

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Betsy.

• Peggy
• Bess
• Polly
• Bessie
• Lois
• Jean
• Mamie
• Minnie
• Franny
• Betty
• Gretchen
• Sally
• Francine
• Edna
• Gladys
• Dolly
• Dora
• Flo
• Joan
• Mildred

Famous People Named Betsy

• Elizabeth Griscom "Betsy" Ross figure in the American Revolution
• Elisabeth Dee "Betsy" DeVos 11th U.S. Secretary of Education
• Elizabeth Helen "Betsy" McCaughey American politician, former lieutenant governor of New York
• Betsy Ann Brandt American actress
• Betsy Blair (born Elizabeth Winifred Boger) American actress
• Betsy Yoder American reality TV personality ("Breaking Amish: LA")
• Betsy Ruth ring name of MaryKate Duignan Glidewell, American pro wrestler
• Betsy Palmer (born Patricia Betsy Hrunek) American actress
• Betsy Gordon Drake French,American actress
• Betsy Morgan American Broadway actress
• Elizabeth Marie "Betsy" Wolfe American Broadway actress
• Betsy Beutler American actress
• Betsy Joslyn American actress and singer
• Betsy Rue American actress
• Elizabeth A. "Betsy" Hodges American politician; 47th mayor of Minneapolis
• Lucia Elizabeth ″Betsy″ Balcombe Abell friend of Napoleon I during his exile at Saint Helena
• Helen Elizabeth "Betsy" Nagelsen American tennis player
• Betsy Woodruff American political reporter
• Betsy King American pro golfer
• Elizabeth Earle "Betsy" Rawls American pro golfer
• Betsy May Randle American actress
• Betsy Mack Tyrell (b. 2018) daughter of American singer/songwriter Hillary Scott, twin to Emory JoAnn; sister to Eisele Kaye

The name Betsy in Pop Culture

• Betsy Warrington Ray main character in the Betsy,Tacy series by Maud Hart Lovelace
• Betsy main character in the B is for Betsy series by Carolyn Haywood
• Elizabeth "Betsy" Braddock aka Psylocke Marvel comics character
• Betsy Kelso daughter of Michael Kelso on TV's "That 70's Show"
• Betsy character in the movie "Taxi Driver"
• Betsy Hopper character in movie "Betsy's Wedding"
• Betsy Cramer character on American soap "One Life to Live"
• Betsy Stewart character on American soap "As the World Turns"
• Betsy Chernak Taylor character on American soap "Love is a Many Splendored Thing"
• Betsy aka Bet character in "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens
• Betsy Butterbur character in film The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug
• Betsy Bobbin character in L. Frank Baum's Oz books
• "The Betsy " 1978 film
• Betsy Jobs character in the 1999 comedy film "Dick" about President Richard Nixon